What is it about your brand or business that makes it unique? Why should a customer shop with your brand and not a competitor?

Hopefully you know the answer to these questions – the thing that sets your business apart from the other businesses out there. It’s usually referred to as a Unique Selling Point or Unique Selling Proposition – USP for short.

In the past five years or so, a trend has emerged in ecommerce website design where a brand will showcase their USP on their website in a visually eye-catching and accessible way. As highlighted by consultant Dan Barker in his recent mammoth thread of ecommerce tips, this most often makes an appearance in a dedicated bar on a brand’s homepage (usually at the top, but not always) known as a ‘USP bar’.

https://twitter.com/danbarker/status/1226968312879493122

But what exactly constitutes a USP bar, why are they used, and which brands are using them effectively? Let’s take a closer look at this element of ecommerce design.